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Tag: Workers Party

  • WP Faisal Abdul Manap Apologized in Parliament After Making Allegation Against HDB

    WP Faisal Abdul Manap Apologized in Parliament After Making Allegation Against HDB

    Faisal Abdul Manap Workers party
    Credit: Asiaone

    There was a sharp exchange yesterday between Minister of State (National Development) Maliki Osman and Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, which even saw Parliament Speaker Halimah Yacob stepping in to remind MPs of the importance of providing details when they cite incidents involving government agencies and public servants.

    During the debate on the Family Justice Bill, Mr Faisal had alleged that when he was a counsellor, he came across a couple who were having housing issues and advised to file for a divorce by the Housing and Development Board — so that the wife would be eligible to buy a house under the Singles Scheme and she could subsequently remarry her husband. Mr Faisal, however, could not provide the details. Here are excerpts of the exchange:

    Dr Maliki (left): It is very important for Members of the House to understand that if we highlight cases in this House, we have to be prepared to disclose all information … Because I don’t think allegations of such a nature can be allowed to go past without verification. I hope Mr Faisal will be able to get back to the (client) and ask … for permission for us to clarify this situation. If not, I hope the case that was highlighted here should not be considered seriously in this Chamber.

    Mr Faisal (right): I don’t have (the) contacts since I am no longer a counsellor. But again, I used that as one example of many cases I have encountered of such difficulties … I don’t have the details of my client.

    halimah yacob PAP

    Mdm Halimah: It is quite different to say that HDB rejected the appeal (compared) to saying that it is because of the advice of the HDB officer that the couple should divorce … So since you cited the person and you said you got her approval to raise the issue, the question asked by the Minister of State is whether you can provide particulars so he can verify and prevent (the situation) from repeating if (it) is indeed … as you have said.

    Dr Maliki: These are very serious statements that are being made against our civil servants … If such allegations are made, we must give them a chance to clarify …

    Mr Faisal: I have no intention of disregarding the good work that has been done by civil servants in our public services. I just wanted to feedback the experiences that I had encountered …

    Dr_Maliki_Osman_PAP

    Dr Maliki: It is very important for us to uphold the integrity of this Chamber and … that of our Civil Service. The Member highlighted a case and made very serious allegations that a HDB officer actually asked the couple to divorce … For such allegations to be made in this Chamber, it is very serious.

    Mdm Halimah: Although Members are covered by parliamentary privilege, it is important when incidents are cited, particularly involving government agencies and public servants, the particulars can be provided … to verify … the facts. That will really help to improve the debate in the House, it adds credibility to the whole process … as well.

    (After Law and Foreign Minister K Shanmugam had wrapped up the debate)

    Mr Faisal: It is not my intention to give a negative impression of any of the public services or government offices. I will be more careful in future and I apologise.

    Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/faisal-apologises-after-making-allegation-against-hdb

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  • WP Malay-Muslim MP Supports Wear White

    https://www.facebook.com/wearwhitesg
    https://www.facebook.com/wearwhitesg

    The Wear White campaign got a ringing endorsement from Workers Party MP Faisal Abdul Manap!

    His photo was uploaded on the Wear White Facebook page with him standing beside another Wear White supporter.

    https://www.facebook.com/wearwhitesg/photos/pb.639032632854739.-2207520000.1403974152./650882588336410/?type=1&theater

    MP Faisal’s support for Wear White is a refreshing change, as WP previously remained silent on LGBT issues. It is commendable that he is speaking out against the LGBT threat and leading his party on this issue.

    Unlike the PAP MPs and Ministers who shied away from confronting the LGBT threat, it is good that WP MP Faisal is bravely taking a moral position against homosexuality.

    Authored by Hazrul Hamzah

    READ PREVIOUS POSTING BY GAY PETER HU WHO CALLS COMMUNITY “F**KING MUSLIM TERRORIST”

    READ MORE ON WEAR WHITE & PINKDOT SG HERE

    READ PREVIOUS LETTERS FROM CONTRIBUTOR HAZRUL HAMZAH HERE

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  • WP Community Fund For Social Causes

    Credit: ST
    Credit: ST

    The Workers’ Party (WP) has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings.

    The WP Community Fund (WPCF) is structured like the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), the ruling party’s charity arm.

    The WPCF was registered as a company limited by guarantee in January this year and accepted by the authorities as a charity in February.

    The party has been low key about the fund’s existence, but according to company and charity records obtained by The Straits Times last week, its board of 10 directors includes WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang as chairman, and Members of Parliament Png Eng Huat, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap and Lee Li Lian.

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/wp-sets-fund-social-causes-20140602

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  • Time for Muslim MPs To Take a Stand on Malay and Muslim Issues

    jumblatt-opt--1--jpg_153257
    Photo Credit: Yahoo SG

    faisalmanapWP

    WP MP Faisal Manap raises some concerns of Muslims, as expressed in the Suara Musyawarah Report, in Parliament.

    Instead of addressing the issue head-on, PAP Muslim MPs tries to corner Faisal into taking a stand on the issue (which he didn’t, and i think he should have). Later, the MPs were either silent on the issue or tried to skirt it, or even deny it.

    Now i have a few questions for the Muslim MPs:

    1) Is the Suara Musyawarah Report not commissioned by the government? If so, what is the follow-up?

    2) What is the attitude of the Muslim MPs towards the report? Take what you like from it, and ignore what you don’t?

    3) If the latter is the case, why have the report in the first place?

    4) Even IF those things stated are not true, those are indeed the perceptions of many Muslims. Will you address those perceptions with facts and figures, and reasoned argumentation? Or will those just be dismissed or ignored?

    I call upon them to take a stand on these issues/questions, in the name of constructive politics.

    Authored by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah

    Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, a public-spirited individual, is an ongoing Political Science student of the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is a three-times award recipient of the Graduate Student Teaching (GSTA) Award Honour Roll in 2012. In the recent NUS Commencement Week, he was also selected as the Valedictorian of his cohort.

     

    EDITOR’S NOTE

    Seems like both parties cranked up their engines harder this time round with fancy new measures and proposals. The announcement on setting up of WP Malay/Muslim committee to oversee concerns faced by the community should have been done way much earlier. Nevertheless, it’s better late than never. We applaud WP to help the community alongside PAP. Having two different approaches and perspectives to issues will definitely result in expedited progress, only if sole focus is on the community, and not about the respective parties and what’s important to them.

    We are glad that more and more Muslims are speaking up for what’s good for their community. This is our country and in a significant way, we have the right to decide our future. As long that discussions are not baseless and no vulgarities involved, someday somehow someone will hear us.

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  • Workers’ Party: Set Up Committee to Address Malay-Muslim Concerns

    faisalmanapWP

    SINGAPORE – Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap of the Workers’ Party yesterday called for the formation of a committee to address concerns of Malay-Muslims over how their loyalty to the nation is viewed.

    But in a swift rebuttal, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi deemed his suggestion unnecessary as this was an issue that could be overcome by strengthening inter-racial ties.

    The exchange began with Mr Faisal saying that more needed to be done to “address and find solutions” to community concerns highlighted in a recent report. He quoted the findings of the Suara Musyawarah committee, which said Malay-Muslim participants felt left out in certain policies and practices which “question the loyalty of Malays to the country”.

    The committee was formed in 2012 to gather feedback on the thoughts, concerns and aspirations of Malay-Muslims. Its report highlighted personal accounts of employers expressing a preference for non-Malay workers and surfaced concerns over exclusion from certain parts of the Singapore Armed Forces.

    Mr Faisal acknowledged that progress has been made in terms of opportunities afforded to Malay-Muslims in education and national service, but said the committee’s formation could offer a “quick solution” to achieving a “more inclusive and open Singapore society”.

    Responding to his speech, Mr Hawazi and Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) later asked Mr Faisal if the latter had ever felt that his loyalty to the country was questioned, and what his own views on the issue were.

    “I’m concerned (that) if we highlight the differences, we will be widening (them) not only among one community but all communities,” said Mr Hawazi, adding that schools and community activities are means to forge greater social cohesion.

    In response, Mr Faisal stressed that the issue of loyalty among Malays was surfaced by the Suara Musyawarah report, and not him.

    Mr Hawazi then suggested that Mr Faisal had cherry-picked portions of the report, failing to highlight, for example, that Malay-Muslim participants also said they were “very committed” to Singapore on issues that include defence and security.

    Maintaining that he was reflecting concerns on the ground, Mr Faisal said: “I have said in my view that I am aware and agree there is progress made, but because there are still many people who say that this issue is present, I, as a voice of the people, would like to voice it out.”

    Source: The Straits Times

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